Nominated Mining Cabinet Secretary Hassan Joho yesterday dispelled long-drawn rumours about his academic qualifications and alleged links to narcotics business.
Questions about the former Mombasa governor’s academic qualifications and whether he conducted a legitimate business have featured mostly during the electioneering period.
The issues played out prominently after he was nominated CS for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, including petitions to various agencies to confirm the authenticity of his papers.
Central to the debate has been how an individual who attained a D minus score in Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exam, could obtain a university degree.
“What gives me pride is that I turned it around [his underprivileged upbringing]. I am glad that the laws of the land provide a chance for someone to improve. Yes, I did not do well in my school. I got a D minus, but I turned it around and I now hold two degrees. I am on the path to attaining a master's degree from the most prestigious university in the world,” he said.
Joho’s critics have also linked him to drugs business at the Coast, and have mostly referred to his mention in a report the former minister George Saitoti tabled in Parliament some years back.
The former Mombasa county chief cleared the air on the claims when he faced MPs in the National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula-led committee on Sunday.
For the first time, he narrated his journey in the academic world which began at a later stage of his life. Joho said he was pursuing a master's at the prestigious Havard Kennedy School of Government.
“I started to work and further education came later,” he said.
Joho said he started with a bridging course in 2006 as he embarked on a journey to acquire his first degree.
“I did a bridging course to enable me to join university. I did a diploma in 2007 which enabled me join Kampala University and eventually graduated in 2013,” he said.
After leaving Kampala, Joho said he went for another degree at Gretsa University, Thika in Kiambu county.
Joho said it was after the Gretsa course that he enrolled at Havard Kennedy School of Government for the public leadership credentials programme.
MPs vetting him following his nomination by President William Ruto said it was time the matter which usually crops up in elections was cleared.
“It is normal for people to cast doubt but let Kenyans know that we can and we are as qualified as every other Kenyan,” the CS nominee said.
In an emotional account, Joho said he was inspired by Prof Ali Mazrui who did not succeed in his Cambridge examination but was admitted to the university for a degree later.
“I want Kenyans to know that historical struggles are real. Someone should never imagine that if they come from a place of comfort, there will be a levelled playground for everyone. I had to skip a year before joining secondary school.”
The former governor said he raised his own fees in secondary school and that he had an understanding with the principal to let him work and raise money for his education.
For Joho, the question about his academic qualification was not surprising.
“This question comes up every time there is an opportunity for me do something. It started when I was running for MP when they said my kindergarten certificate was fake.”
“When I was running for governor in 2013, it became a big issue. There was even an attempt to bribe some offices to suspend my degree just to deny me time to submit my papers,” he said.
The Mining CS nominee revisited how President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration also used the same against him in the campaigns.
“There is no government institution be it CUE, DCI, and even the judicial process that has not investigated my degree but they lost,” he said.
On the issues of drugs, the former governor said the same was used as political fodder just as his academic papers.
Joho said the dossier Saitoti tabled against him was investigated and the minister reported back to Parliament that there was no evidence linking him to the claim.
“No evidence was found against me. I am not a fool. I come from a family that is blessed with businesses. The investigation was concluded,” he said.
The former governor said having been the greatest critic of the Jubilee administration, they would have established if the drug links were true.
“They came after me in many fronts. If I was involved in illegal activity, would I have survived the onslaught?” he said, adding, “I do clean business, visible that can be audited and seen. The Saitoti report cleared us.”
Joho also faced questions about his performance as governor which he said had “a record that spoke for itself”.
